All things animal in Southern California and beyond

Killer whales make appearance off Dana Point

June 12, 2008 | 5:16
pm

A report of a group of orcas, or killer whales, just four miles offshore from Dana Point prompted Dave and Gisele Anderson of Capt. Dave's Dolphin Safari to jump in their tour boat Wednesday afternoon and snap this picture of one of the five orcas they spotted breaching. The husband-and-wife tour operators say that it is rare for the creatures to come close to shore in this region and that it was the first time they've spotted one in more than three years.

"It was incredible. They were so animated and gregarious, going from boat to boat," Gisele Anderson said. Most people don't know that so-called killer whales are members of the dolphin family, despite what their name suggests, she explains. "They are called killer whales because they are whale killers, not because they're whales."